Unusual writing style.
Good story in parts, not always quite for me in others.
By the title there is a suspicion of cheating.

DNF at page 201 of 468.

I picked up this and the last book I read a few months ago but never got around to reading. One of my resolutions is to get through the glossy pile of books I have not read yet on my shelves (there are a lot of them) so I started going through the pile. Frankly I want to kick myself since so far the books I bought are not that great to me.

I wish that I could get engrossed more in Imogen's story. However, from the parts I read, this character just seems to have built her husband up on a pedestal and excuses all of his faults which look to be legion to me at this point. When you find out the history of how Imogen and her husband got together I ended up losing a lot of sympathy for her since she is super naive.

The writing at times flows, and other times gets clunky. I think that since the author chose to slowly reveal things to the reader actually hurt a bit for this story since you go from feeling for Imogen, to thinking how dumb she is when you go back and see what happened in the past. Not going to lie, I totally skipped to the last two chapters to see if I had called where the book was going to end up when I finally decided to stop reading the book. I was correct on all of my assumptions. ( )

A crowded marriage implies one ... one crowded marriage (ha ha ha - channelling my inner Count here. And throwing in a little foreshadowing) And in this fun, British romp, Catherine Alliott must have been channelling her inner Shakespeare. That's what this novel reminded me of: a zany, mixed-up, laugh-out-loud, Shakespearean comedy - with totally understandable language.

I fell completely in love with Imogen and her whacked-out family. They were so lovable that their foibles managed to make them seem relateable and endearing rather than just bizarre. I could totally see myself caught up in the same sorts of ridiculous situations Imogen found herself in.

What was bothersome about the characters was their total inability to face the truth in each of their lives. This did make for some hilarious moments but it also, occasionally, made me want to shake some sense into them. I was also not fond of the underlying theme that threaded its way through the novel.

Despite some serious moments, 'A Crowded Marriage' is not a book to be taken seriously. I would have been thrilled with a different ending but the ending, as it sits, works OK too.

Looking for something to read while you lay out in the sun this summer? 'A Crowded Marriage' by Catherine Alliott may be just the thing. ( )

I have to admit that the story started off pretty slowly. In fact, in the first 150 pages I wondered if I'd be able to finish it. I didn't feel very connected to Eleanor, with her strangely muted relationship with her husband. Was this a cultural gap that I'd missed, or was Eleanor's relationship truly of a different sort? Her husband seemed a lot older to me, aloof, and just not engaged in marriage to begin with. He seemed as though he liked everyone else around him, but his wife, except at random "playing house" moments. Odd. Honestly, I wanted her out of that marriage from the get go!

Once we get past the background stories we need to move forward, the story really gets going and the tension in Eleanor's marriage and relationships take on new meaning. Although you start to feel you know where the story is heading, it doesn't all play out exactly as you might think. We can't help but hate the husband's best friend, as she seems way too involved in their marriage. Yes, you realize the marriage is falling apart, and yes, you hope that people get what's coming to them. The surprising bit is how everyone reacts, and how things fit together. In that way, the last 100 pages were pretty difficult for me to put down. (Although, maybe it was the hot, yet slightly grouchy veterinarian that captured my attention?)

On the whole, I really did like this book. It was hard getting the groundwork set, but once I could clearly see the connections between our characters, the story snapped into place and I cared about what would happen. Subtle humor is applied in spots, with crazy misadventures that didn't seem as funny as they might have been (considering the topic), but overall it rang true to me. This book is a great getaway book for a vacation, with plenty of drama and relationships to consider. ( )

I've never really taken the time to pick up a Catherine Alliott book for some reason, however this one found it's way into my basket and I'm extremely glad that it did. The story revolves round Imogen Cameron, her husband Alex and their son Rufus. The Camerons are experiencing financial troubles so they have to leave their house and life in London and accept Eleanor Latimer's offer of a rent-free cottage on her large country estate. The problem is that Eleanor is Alex's glamorous ex and Imogen already has her suspicions.
So they relocate to the country and settle into Shepherd's Cottage which comes complete with sheep, chickens and cows that Imogen is expected to look after. Life becomes very busy, Rufus has to be settled into a new school; Imogen has many encounters with the bossy but handsome vet and Alex and Eleanor seem to be spending far too much time together. Although Imogen had not welcomed the move to the country she does find that she is able to re-invigorate her painting career and begins to think that she could become very happy in the country. There are many twists and turns in the story as the situation finally comes to a head. I did not expect the ending at all which was a nice surprise really as books in this genre can sometimes be a little predictable.
A Crowded Marriage made me laugh out loud on several occasions and I think that Catherine Alliot creates extremely witty dialogue between her lovely characters. I will definitely be reading another Catherine Alliot book, I just hope the rest are as good as this one! ( )